Chikuunsai IV Tanabe March 2018 - Report

The Embassy of Japan in Norway, in cooperation with the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, were delighted to arrange the visit of esteemed bamboo master Chikuunsai IV Tanabe in March 2018 as part of the Japan Brand Program.

Chikuunsai IV Tanabe gave two open and free-of-charge lectures and workshops guiding those with interest in bamboo handicraft during his stay in Oslo 2-3 March 2018. Among the attendees and participants were many arts and crafts students, ikebana instructors and students, and skilled craftsmen from various fields, as well as those with great curiousity for this rather exotic material to the Scandinavian nature and climate.

The workshops, for which the participants had to pre-register, were fully subscribed in record time, so it was obvious that the interest in the event was far greater than the capacity.

Workshop participants were given the task of making bamboo vases under the guidance of Chikuunsai. The various backgrounds of the participants resulted in an impressive variety of output by the conclusion of the workshops, and it was interesting to observe how quickly and intuitively they grasped the characteristics of the foreign material.

We hope that the bamboo vases that were produced will have a long life holding ikebana, and that the hands-on experience with the flexible but sturdy Japanese bamboo will inspire even more curiosity towards the material as well as its native country, Japan.